Building unit and method of constructing buildings therewith



June 3 1924. 1,496,022

E. w. ROBERTS ET AL BUILDING UNIT AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS THEREWITH Filed June 5, 19?.1

9 f b, g

FIG. I

Patented June 3, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WILLIAM ROBERTS OF \VATFORD. AND LOUIS FREDERICK W'ILLIAM LEESEv OF LONDON ENGLAND.

BUILDING UNIT AND METHOD 01- CONSTRUCT ING BUILDINGS THEREWITH.

Application filed June 3, 1921 Serial No. 474,699.

(GRANTEDUNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT O F MARCH 3. 1921. 41 STATv I... 1313 i Be it known that We. EDWARD WILLIAM R BLRTs and Lotus FkEnEnIc-K WILLIAM LEEsE. subjects of the King of the United Kingdom of t rieat Britain and Irelan l. fihcl residents of \Vatferd, England. and Loiii'lon. England. respectively. have inventetl a certain new and useful Iniprovenient in Bllll ling Units and Methods of Constru tin Buildings Therewith (for which we liavi; liletl apiili ati ii in Great Britain May :1, li Patent NH. l ihi llll. f Whi h thif 'illowing is a specifi aticin.

This invention relates to an improved buildingelement. or unit l y means of which builclings such as lwelhng houses may be rapidly erected. and also to the inetlincl of erecting such liuiltlingsliy iheaiis f such ini- [H'tflt'l Uiiilthng uli'its.

The inl rrit'etl unit in accdrtlance with the invention consists of a casting or l]lt )lll l1ll 1 f a mixture of cement fintl asbestos or like filire nlinfllll) f a length equal to the height he tween floors of the building to he erected ancl so shapecl as itself or when placed in abutting relation with others to provide inner and outer walls forming cells extending from floor to ceiling which cells may be tillecl with aggregate or the like the erection thus formed attending a coinljiinatic n of monolithic and sectional construction.

The nietliotl of erecting buil lings with such units c nsists in mounting the units on a sill or socket rneinher su ji iortecl on the foundation. superposing on the cell structure a further sill r socket. to act if necessary as a support f r su 'ierp sed units and sills c r s ckets and filling with aggregate or the like.

The inventit n is illustrated in the accompanying thawing in which Fig. 1 hows a plan view of one form of the improved buil li t. with porti ns f abutting units. Figur 2 shows in plan p rtions (if two building units.one arrangecl as: a orner unit Fig. 2' i an em] elevation f the luiiltlnig unit shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the wall of a liOllSP huilt in accortl- :in 'e with the nietho l aiicl hr the units f rnilllfl thF' Stlhjefit f thlS in\'ent.i n

i\s shoiin in Figs. 1. Z, un l 4 f the ll11\\ln IS ln one fornitlieini iroveclhuilcling unit consists of a casting or nioultling of a mixture 0f cement and asbest s or like fibre ordinarily of a length equal to the height he tween flo rs of tlie liuilcling to he r ted lllfl'lllglu'llillltfl \valletl porti ns t! unltetl at intervals l tluliSVtSe WiillS b to f rm a fillilulit of cells a and formed along its eiicl faces w or (as shon n in Fig. 2) ailjacent theret in such manner as to ahut against a similar unit.

In mnstrtictiiig a building by means of such elements or unitsthere is nieuntecl n or fer-me as part of tlie fountlatic n of the building a hollow sill or socket member (l f asl estos cement or the like ffllln l with lflflllllgS J f the size f the lls 1! zili l slialietl to r feive the lower faceS of the units which are l lacetl there n, the trans-v rsiwalls I of the units lieing pr feralj ly ut :i\\ av as inth -atetl at h to tit ver th flanges n the "socket r sills'll. On tlie'it iper sintlices ofthese units are placed sills or sockets i. of suitahle length \VlH'l Hl 'm a mixture f cement. ali l aggregate is iourecl into thrcells. the tilling f the sills r socket melnliers u antl heing of tine material the r niain l r of the filling heing preferably such as to leave an air space thrcmghout the l ngths f til j flls Til l Fi itkets ill i. l ll i llllgk l t serve as supports f r the j ists r the like wlli fll lllfly l) f U s f 'tl ll al l l f fl alily forinetl f asbestos cement or the like. The units atla ite l to aliut against th se ere te l are then tittecl in place an l so n ar i uncl the foundation units such as that sh wn in Fig. 2 li ing llSe l f r c rners. The abutting units when in posit ion are so Shalwtl :15 to ffllln lietwceli theln P ckets f eXten lin: the l ngth f the units into which ement lnziy he lmlil'etl. a felt 01 Oth r sheet HI the like being referal ly insertecl at one end of each po ket to pr vent the passage f air r Watel into the pocket betwe n the fil llttlng e lges of the outer Walls As statetl these llllltH are ortlinarih; niaile to the height corresl n ling t the usual height. lietwe n fl rs f a htnltling, say nine feet. anal f a staiiclaial ii'iclth. say of three feet. \Vh re a liuilthii f ni r than one story iS to he erectetl, as inthcatetl in Fig. 4, further units are superi set'l on the sills or Sockets t. further sills or Sockets /l are placed thereon antl the c lls tille l with aggregate as lief r The s ckets A. as iii lltfitetl in Fig. -l. are Jl1l;.i\' -""l 1. support the l ot trusses and joists inch again may be of fibro-cement. Naturally sockets such as those it would be used in lieu of those 0 if the building were only a single story building.

Where a window or like opening is to be provided, as indicated in Fig. 4. the units beneath or above the same will not extend the full length but will be of a length dependent on the size and position of the Window opening required.

Among the advantages of this mode of construction are the following: The units may be entirely factory made and standardized. \Vhen erected the units present a finished surface on the exterior and interior surfaces which may be of any pattern desired, no rendering, plastering or rough casting being required. Gonstructional strength is obtained firstly by the cellular design of the sections and secondly by the monolithic character of the filling or core. A great saving in labour and improvement in the quality of construction are obtained. while great latitude in design and complete standardization of the parts are afforded. Finally, the whole building with the exception of the floors, doors and the like are fireproof, damp-proof, rot-proof and vermin-proof.

We claim 1. An improved building unit consisting of a casting or moulding of a mixture of cement and asbestos or like fibre of a lengtl. substantially equal to the height between floors of a building, and consisting of parallel walled portions united at uniform intervals by transverse walls to form a plurality of cells extending throughout the length of the unit, the said transverse walls extending at right angles to the parallel walled portions, the walls closing each of the outermost cells being formed with recessed portions to afford in conjunction with other units ptwkets for the insertion of binding material.

2. An improved building unit consisting of a casting or moulding of a mixture of cement and asbestos or like fibre of a length substantially equal to the height between floors of a building, and consisting of parallel walled portions united at uniform intervals by five transverse walls to form a plurality of cells extending throughout the length of the unit, the said transverse walls extending at right angles to the parallel walled portions. the walls closing each of the outermost cells being formed with recessed portions to afford in conjunction with other units pockets for the insertion of binding material.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

EDWARD \VILLIAM ROBERTS. LOUIS FREDK. WVILLIAM LEESE. 

